White Plumes, 1919

In 1917 Matisse hired nineteen-year-old Antoinette Arnaud to be his primary model during the winters he spent in Nice, France. White Plumes shows Antoinette sporting an extravagant hat of the artist’s own design. Matisse’s plumed hat series became for him a complex theme with variations. Following his usual practice, he made a comprehensive study of his subject, seeking to discover its essence through numerous drawn and painted sketches. He then created a final, finished painting, synthesizing all he had learned.

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